The maps portion of the BB does not require a data plan per say. Although here in canada Data is $0.05 per KB for maps and browsing. The phone works nicely and would be a decent organizer as well. I use mine without data for the moment because rogers charges $25 for 0.5MB of Blackberry Data.. Screw that!

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go with TMO, the personal unmlimited Blackberry Plan is only 19.99 a month. I persoanlly think its a waste to buy a Pearl and not use the features its made for, but thats just me. Once you use it and have the data plan you will love it.

If you just want a basic phone with some java capability to run some apps like google maps etc, then just get a cheapo basic razr with the 5.99 tzones plan from tmo and you will be able to do what you need. I've had a bb pearl for a couple of months and its the BIS service that makes the phone really useful for me. I have come to depend on all its features, but I have to pay for it. No point in buying a rolls royce if you are just going to drive it around the block.

even without the data plan, i still think its a great choice for a new phone. there are lotta features other phones dont have. you can download programs to your phone via the usb.

for the mapping function, i have never used google maps because blackberry maps ( the default app.) suffices. you can input two addresses and what not and do whatever you wanted it to do. i hear the interface is better than google maps but i wouldnt know.

if u want to get online/check email without a plan then its possible to use opera mini, though not guaranteed. it takes me no more than 5 seconds to get to my emails. not sure how much cingular charges for bandwidth usage.

if you're someone whos runs a business or in corporate or basically depends on checking/sending emails, then you should get the data plan. if you're not dependent on the blackberry's main feature then dont get the plan. there are plenty of other things u can do with it

If you just want a basic phone with some java capability to run some apps like google maps etc, then just get a cheapo basic razr with the 5.99 tzones plan from tmo and you will be able to do what you need. I've had a bb pearl for a couple of months and its the BIS service that makes the phone really useful for me. I have come to depend on all its features, but I have to pay for it. No point in buying a rolls royce if you are just going to drive it around the block.

I don't normally reply to "should I get a Pearl" threads because it's not up to me to convince anyone to buy a phone. Basically, I could care less if someone else on the planet buys this phone.

But yours is an interesting query.

IMHO I think people forget that WITHOUT a data plan the Pearl remains an awesome multimedia device. While "turning on" the e-mail and data services is beneficial to many, the "naked Pearl" still makes a great phone, plays MP3, and runs feature length movies if one wants, all for a very low price or even free [depending on how you purchase the Pearl].

As I have said before, I used to pay $500 for a cell phone whose only "feature" was that it was the smallest cell phone of the time. And that was in 1998 dollars, for example.

Now for $200 or less [upgrade price] one can get a phone that weighs about 3 ounces, has a speaker phone, a nice interface, plays media and looks cool. Well that's a good deal in my book.

Also, Members should not forget that many phones that compete with the Pearl do NOT have the BB service. Even without such service, the phones compete with each other. In fact, the Pearl was developed to compete with other non-BB phones. So getting a Pearl without data or e-mail services is a reasonable option.

I dunno about being able to use Google Maps, etc. without a data plan. I thought that Google uses "the net" to get updated maps. Maybe it does not require a data connection? I have a data plan so I don't know what works and does not work without a data plan.

Bonus Tip: I know Cingular is more expensive than my carrier, T-Mo, for data and e-mail services, but I assume Cing is like T-Mo where you can try out the data and e-mail services, consider if it is worth the extra cost, and if not, just cancel it. In other words, you are not bound for a contract term for such, like you are with a phone plan. So why not give it a try for a couple months. Make sure you can in fact cancel it after a few months.

No point in buying a Rolls Royce if you are just going to drive it around the block.

My neighbor has a $250,000 Bentley and the thing rarely leaves his parking space, albeit just yesterday I saw him driving with the top down and three other gray-haired bobble heads [aka passengers] going to a place where such people tootle in a Bentley. I would have to say it looked like they were just going around the block.

He also wears a Rolex, but I don't think he bought the watch just to tell the time.

I just think that the "phone" itself is nothing to write home about. The call quality is fair to marginal with its voice background cancelling or whatever it tries to do. EVERY BB has been like that for me in varying degrees of quality. The Moto phones seem to be better as just a pure phone. YMMV...